Israel is on the move! Jericho has fallen. Ai has fallen. The Amorite kingdoms of Sihon and Og east of the Jordan River have fallen. The victories are adding up! Fear has paralyzed the land of Canaan. The question among Israel’s enemies is not, “Can we defeat Israel?” but “Can we save ourselves?” To save themselves, notice the tactic of the Gibeonites, one of Israel’s enemies.
But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins. They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy. When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us.” (Joshua 9:3–6, NLT)
So what’s going on here? God instructed Israel not to make peace with any of the inhabitants of Canaan. The Gibeonites, however, are from the land of Canaan. What’s their plan? To deceive Israel into thinking they are from beyond Canaan and get them to sign a peace treaty. Clever! The old bags, worn-out looking clothes, and moldy bread did the trick! Really? How?
So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath. (Joshua 9:14–15, NLT)
Ouch! The problem here was not the enemy’s genius but Israel’s failure. All Israel had to do was consult God, but they got caught up in their enemy’s misdirection.
Not much has changed for us as believers. We live in a world filled with misdirection. The god of this world, Satan, is a liar and master deceiver. With his old, moldy, worn-out lies, he deceives many. In the case of the believer, it is not the genius of his lies that gets us; it is our failure to consult the Truth! When we walk in the truth, the light of truth reveals the errors hidden by the lies and deception.
For example, has the devil come to you with the moldy lies of your past? What, then, is the truth? The truth is your past is past (2 Corinthians 5:17), your sins are forgiven (Colossians 1:13-14), there is no more condemnation (Romans 8:1), your guilt is gone, and you are free to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4)!
Rejoice! The truth sets us free from the lies and misdirection of the enemy! With the truth, we need not fear his genius! With the truth, we are victors! That’s the truth of the matter!
Thank you for joining with me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Joshua 9:1-11:23.